1a. Δημήτριός τις εἶπε τῷ Νέρωνι· σὺ μὲν ἀπειλεῖς ἐμοὶ τὸν θάνατον, σοὶ δὲ ἡ φύσις.
1b. διδύμων ἀδελφῶν εἷς ἐτελεύτησε· σχολαστικὸς οὖν ἀπαντήσας τῷ ζῶντι, ἠρώτα· σὺ ἀπέθανες ἢ ὁ ἀδελφός σου;
2a. σχολαστικὸς ἀπορῶν, τὰ βιβλία αὑτοῦ ἐπίπρασκε, καὶ γράφων πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ἔλεγε· σύγχαιρε ἡμῖν, πάτερ· ἤδη γὰρ ἡμᾶς τὰ βιβλία τρέφει.
2b. ἐν Λάτμῳ τῆς Καρίας σκόρπιοι εἶναι λέγονται, οἳ τοὺς μὲν πολίτας σφίσι παίουσιν εἰς θάνατον, τοὺς δὲ ξένους ἡσυχῇ.
2c. κορῶναι ἀλλήλαις εἰσὶ πιστόταται καὶ πάνυ σφόδρα ἀγαπῶσι σφᾶς.
3a. Ἀνάχαρσις ὁ Σκύθης ἐρωτηθεὶς ὑπό τινος, τί ἐστὶ πολέμιον ἀνθρώποις; αὐτοὶ, ἔφη, ἑαυτοῖς.
3b. ὁ Ζεὺς τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν ἔφυσεν ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ κεφαλῆς.
3c. οὐδεὶς ἐλεύθερος ἑαυτοῦ μὴ κρατῶν.
3d. νόμος οὗτος Περσικὸς, ὅταν εἰς ἀγροὺς ἐλαύνῃ ὁ βασιλεὺς, πάντες Πέρσαι, κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν ἕκαστος, δῶρα αὐτῷ προσκομίζουσιν.
3e. σχολαστικὸς οἰκίαν πωλῶν, λίθον ἀπ’ αὐτῆς εἰς δεῖγμα περιέφερεν.
3f. κριτὴς ὢν, ἀεὶ ταὐτὰ περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν γίγνωσκε, οὐδὲν πρὸς χάριν ποιῶν.
3g. ψυχῆς ἐπιμελοῦ τῆς σεαυτοῦ.
3h. βούλου ἀρέσκειν πᾶσι, μὴ σαυτῷ μόνον.
3i. πάντων μάλιστα σαυτὸν αἰσχύνου.
notes
1a. εἶπε: "said," 2nd aor. ind. act. > εἶπω.
ἀπειλεῖς: 2nd sing. pres. ind. act. > ἀπειλέω.
ἡ φύσις: understand after this ἀπειλεῖ θάνατον.
1b. ἀπαντήσας: “having met,” 1st aor. part. act. > ἀπαντάω.
τῷ ζῶντι: “the survivor,” literally, “the one that was living”; imperf. part. > ζάω.
ἠρώτα: 3rd sing. imperf. ind. act. > ἑρωτάω.
σὺ ἀπέθανες: “did you die?" 2nd aor. ind. act. > ἀποθνήσκω.
1c. τοῦτ’: for τοῦτο.
ἀπολιποῦσα: "having left,” 2nd aor. part. act > ἀπολείπω.
θαμίζεις: 2nd sing. pres. ind. act. > θαμίζω.
οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο σωφρονεῖν: "this is not acting discreetly.”
σωφρονεῖν: pres. inf. act. > σωφρονέω.
οὐχ οὕτω: "not on this condition,” i.e. not with this understanding
ὁ πατήρ σου … παρέδωκεν: “did your father give,” 1st aor. ind. act. > παραδίδωμι.
2a. ἀπορῶν: "being in great want,” pres. part. act. > ἀπορέω.
ἑπίπρασκε: 3rd sing. imperf. ind. act. > πιπράσκω.
γράφων: pres. part. act. > γράφω.
ἔλεγε: “said,” referring to the contents of the letter.
σύγχαιρε ἡμῖν: “congratulate me,” literally, “rejoice with us”; 2nd sing. pres. imperat. > συγχαίρω.
τρέφει: 3rd sing. pres. ind. act. > τρέφω.
2b. εἶναι λέγονται: “there are said to be."
οἳ τοὺς μὲν πολίτας, etc.: “who wound their own citizens to death,” i.e., who, whenever they wound any inhabitants of Latmus, sting them mortally. The expression τοὺς μὲν πολίτας σφισὶν means literally, “the citizens unto them,” i.e., unto the scorpions.
ξένους: supply παίουσι.
2c. ἀγαπῶσι: 3rd pl. pres. ind. act. > ἀγαπάω.
3a. ἐρωτηθεὶς: “having been asked,” 1st aor. part. pass. > ἐρωτάω.
αὐτοὶ … ἑαυτοῖς: “they themselves unto themselves.”
3b. ἔφυσεν: "produced," 3rd sing. 1st aor. ind. act. > φύω.
3c. ἐαυτοῦ μὴ κρατῶν: “who does not control himself,” i.e., who is a slave to his passions.
κρατῶν: pres. part. act. > κρατέω.
3d. οὗτος: supply ἐστί.
κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, etc.: “bring presents unto him, each one according to his means.”
3e. πωλῶν: “offering for sale,” pres. part. act. > πολέω.
εἰς δεῖγμα: "for a sample."
περιέφερεν: 3rd sing. imperf. ind. act.
3f. ὢν: “if you are,” pres. part. > εἰμί.
ἀεὶ ταὐτὰ περὶ, etc:, "ever decide in the same way about the same things.” i.e., be ever consistent and impartial, literally, “decide the same things about the same."
ταὐτὰ: =τὰ αὐτὰ.
γίγνωσκε: 2nd sing. pres. imperat. act. > γιγνώσκω.
πρὸς χάριν: “through favor,” literally, “with reference to favor."
3g. ἐπιμελοῦ: "take care of,” 2nd sing. pres. imperat. mid. > ἐπιμελεω, and governing the thing cared for in the gen.
3h. βούλου: "wish," 2nd sing. pres. imperat. mid. > βούλομαι.
ἀρέσκειν: pres. inf. act. > ἀρέσκω.
3i. Πάντων μάλιστα, etc.: “respect yourself most of all things."
αἰσχύνου: 2nd sing. pres. imperat. mid. > αἰσχύνω.
